On this week’s episode of The Boys, titled “The Insider,” we get to meet a new, villainous Supe. While they don’t have an official name as of yet, the Shapeshifter is a key part of Sage’s (Susan Heyward) plan to destabilize America. And because they (The Boys immediately start using they/them pronouns for the shifter, so we will too) change shape, the Shapeshifter is played by several different actors.
Confusing? It is a little bit, and big spoilers past this point. The Shapeshifter seems to be hired to assassinate President-elect Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) on January 6, when he’s sworn in. Which: yikes. But also by the episode’s end, the Shapeshifter has taken the form of Annie January (Erin Moriarty), so: double yikes.
Also important to note, this is not Doppelganger (Dan Darin-Zanco), who was introduced in Season 1’s “Cherry” and subsequently killed by Homelander (Antony Starr) in Season 2’s “Nothing Like It In The World.” Their powers work differently, too. Specifically, this shifter sloughs off their skin in the most disgusting way possible, revealing the form they’ve taken after they touch their mark, presumably the way they copy the person they are aiming to become.
So with that in mind, the Shapeshifter isn’t played by just one actor in this episode… They’re played by five. Let’s break down who plays the Shapeshifter, and where you might know them from:
Eddy Kaye as Shady Man
The first time we meet the Shapeshifter, they’re spotted by A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) getting a folder handed to them by Sage. That’s where we discover Sage’s plan to kill the President is in action, and it sends Butcher (Karl Urban), Annie, and Hughie (Jack Quaid) on the trail of the shooter.
As you might note from the name, this actor is “Eddy Kaye” and not “Eddie Kaye Thomas” from the American Pie movies. In fact, Eddy Kaye only has one credit to his name: this episode of The Boys. Maybe he really is the Shapeshifter???
Naomi Frenette as Woman
Butcher, Annie, and Hughie head to a rundown apartment where they discover the plans Sage gave Shady Man, aka the potential assassin. There they discover a woman in a tank top and underwear locked in the closet. She tells them that a man has been beating her and holding her hostage, and thanks Annie, who she recognizes as Starlight, for freeing her. And then it turns out, oops, she is the Shady Man. She slashes Hughie’s hand and runs through the halls of the apartment building before taking on her next identity.
Noami Frenette, who plays “Woman,” is a prolific stunt actress. She doubled for Elliot Page in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and did stunts for X-Men: Apocalypse, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix as well. She’s also worked on Arrow, The Flash, Batwoman, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The 100 and more CW productions. She’s on Instagram with 3.5k followers and has some sweet behind-the-scenes stunt stuff posted there. Surprisingly, she does not seem to have previously worked on The Boys.
Patricia Wright-Domingue as Elderly Woman
Next up, as the Shapeshifter runs out of the apartment building they touch an Elderly Woman carrying her laundry inside, played by Patricia Wright-Domingue. They touch the woman’s wrist, the woman’s eyes go wide, and then the Shapeshifter exits, grabbing a gown on the way to disguise themselves.
Wright-Domingue has appeared in several short films and a podcast series, but fans might know her best as Lila Goodchild from American Gods. According to her IMDb bio, she was born in San Fernando, Trinidad, and moved to Canada in 1969. She also only started acting a few years ago.
Sarah D. McCarthy as Karen
After the team has a drag-out fight in their headquarters with The Deep (Chace Crawford) and Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell), they head to a bar to drown their sorrows. That’s when a fan of Annie’s named Karen comes up to take a selfie. But, surprise, that’s no fan… That’s the Shapeshifter. When Annie goes to use the bathroom, the shifter drugs Annie, knocks her out, and chains her to an apartment building floor while they take her shape. Again: yikes.
Sarah D. McCarthy, meanwhile, has had a slew of roles on screen. She’s probably best known as Shannon on Roaming, Dani on Vollies, and Marissa Hopkins on Haven. She’s also an open advocate for normalizing the idea of letting your hair go gray. You can follow her on Instagram, where she currently has 4.2k followers.
Erin Moriarty as Annie January
In the episode’s final scenes, “Annie” dons her Starlight costume, and has sex with Hughie. Once Hughie falls asleep, she opens the safe in their apartment and takes all the evidence they have on Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit). To what ends? TBD. But the final shot of the hour is the real Annie chained to a floor. I won’t explain who Erin Moriarty is, you know her, you love her. But at least by the end of “The Insider,” Moriarty is playing the Shapeshifter. Sorry, Hughie.
The Boys Season 4 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
The Boys season 4 will officially premiere on Prime Video on Thursday, June 13 at 3 am ET / 12 am PT. The season will be eight episodes long, with three dropping on premiere day.
Here’s the full list of episodes in The Boys Season 4, with expected premiere dates:
- Thursday, June 13, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 1 – “Department of Dirty Tricks”
- Thursday, June 13, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 2 – “Life Among the Septics”
- Thursday, June 13, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 3 – “We’ll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here”
- Thursday, June 20, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 4 – “Wisdom of the Ages”
- Thursday, June 27, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 5 – “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son”
- Thursday, July 4, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 6 – “Dirty Business”
- Thursday, July 11, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 7 – “The Insider”
- Thursday, July 18, 2024: The Boys, Season 4, Episode 8 – “Assassination Run” *Season Finale*
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